| Show Christmas bird count to be at monument While many will be counting their presents the day after Christmas a local group of competent birders will be counting birds at Dinosaur National Monument as participants In the Audubon Christmas Bird Count The annual Christmas Bird Count which will be one of over 1400 similar counts taken from Hawaii to Labrador and Alaska to Venezuela occurs from Dec 18 to Jan 2 This year marks the anniversary of the original Christmas Bird count taken on Christmas Day in 1900 by a group of strollers in 25 locations mostly around major northeastern cities Since that time the event has grown from Crom 25 to last years year's 1418 and the total par par- participants from 27 to an estimated This year every every Canadian province every American state many Central American countries and numerous West Indies Islands will submit their results to the National Audubon Society which supervises the event and publishes all the counts In its journal American Birds The count Is the biggest birding event of the year and for some groups it means days and weeks of strategy planning and logistics in trying to amass amass In a single calendar day the biggest possible list In a designated area By tradition the count area is a cir clr cle cIe which cannot overlap another count circle of mile 15 dIameter or roughly square miles Within the circle count organizers at at- at tempt to field as many competent birders as they can who are grouped Into parties each with a section of the cir cir cir- circle cle or points on the map which they alone will search There is no limit to the number of participants last year Stanford Greenwich Conn fielded and there were 26 counts with or more participants There almost seems no limit to the number of birds Christmas Counters can find in their designated circles Obvious Obvious- Obviously Obviously ly at the the Christmas season the warmer climates climate's climates hold an enormous advantage as do all counts near salt water In 1981 the count In the Atlantic area of the Panama Canal Zone scored highest with species the highest VS US count in 1981 was Santa Barbara Calif with By contrast North Star Island Alaska found no birds No less than 47 of the 1222 coUntS In the US U S listed or more species almost all of them In the balmier climes of California Texas and Florida All the Information Is gathered edited and published In the July 1983 Issue of American Birds whose editors organize and run the annual extravaganza Apart from its attraction as a social sporting and competitive event the affair sheds much light on the early winter distribution tion of the different species of native birds All counts are open to competent birders willing to pay a 2 fee to help defray costs of publication For information tion on the local count contact Lorraine Ferris or Dan Chure |
